Showing papers by "University of New Brunswick published in 2021"

DeepFed: Federated Deep Learning for Intrusion Detection in Industrial Cyber–Physical Systems

Abstract: The rapid convergence of legacy industrial infrastructures with intelligent networking and computing technologies (e.g., 5G, software-defined networking, and artificial intelligence), have dramatically increased the attack surface of industrial cyber–physical systems (CPSs). However, withstanding cyber threats to such large-scale, complex, and heterogeneous industrial CPSs has been extremely challenging, due to the insufficiency of high-quality attack examples. In this article, we propose a novel federated deep learning scheme, named DeepFed, to detect cyber threats against industrial CPSs. Specifically, we first design a new deep learning-based intrusion detection model for industrial CPSs, by making use of a convolutional neural network and a gated recurrent unit. Second, we develop a federated learning framework, allowing multiple industrial CPSs to collectively build a comprehensive intrusion detection model in a privacy-preserving way. Further, a Paillier cryptosystem-based secure communication protocol is crafted to preserve the security and privacy of model parameters through the training process. Extensive experiments on a real industrial CPS dataset demonstrate the high effectiveness of the proposed DeepFed scheme in detecting various types of cyber threats to industrial CPSs and the superiorities over state-of-the-art schemes.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Smart Agriculture: Applications, Requirements, and Challenges

Abstract: In the next few years, smart farming will reach each and every nook of the world. The prospects of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for smart farming are immense. However, the cost and the ease in controlling UAVs for smart farming might play an important role for motivating farmers to use UAVs in farming. Mostly, UAVs are controlled by remote controllers using radio waves. There are several technologies such as Wi-Fi or ZigBee that are also used for controlling UAVs. However, Smart Bluetooth (also referred to as Bluetooth Low Energy) is a wireless technology used to transfer data over short distances. Smart Bluetooth is cheaper than other technologies and has the advantage of being available on every smart phone. Farmers can use any smart phone to operate their respective UAVs along with Bluetooth Smart enabled agricultural sensors in the future. However, certain requirements and challenges need to be addressed before UAVs can be operated for smart agriculture-related applications. Hence, in this article, an attempt has been made to explore the types of sensors suitable for smart farming, potential requirements and challenges for operating UAVs in smart agriculture. We have also identified the future applications of using UAVs in smart farming.

Population genomics for wildlife conservation and management

Abstract: Biodiversity is under threat worldwide. Over the past decade, the field of population genomics has developed across nonmodel organisms, and the results of this research have begun to be applied in conservation and management of wildlife species. Genomics tools can provide precise estimates of basic features of wildlife populations, such as effective population size, inbreeding, demographic history and population structure, that are critical for conservation efforts. Moreover, population genomics studies can identify particular genetic loci and variants responsible for inbreeding depression or adaptation to changing environments, allowing for conservation efforts to estimate the capacity of populations to evolve and adapt in response to environmental change and to manage for adaptive variation. While connections from basic research to applied wildlife conservation have been slow to develop, these connections are increasingly strengthening. Here we review the primary areas in which population genomics approaches can be applied to wildlife conservation and management, highlight examples of how they have been used, and provide recommendations for building on the progress that has been made in this field.

The Role of AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data in Digital Twinning: A Systematic Literature Review, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract: Digital twinning is one of the top ten technology trends in the last couple of years, due to its high applicability in the industrial sector. The integration of big data analytics and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI-ML) techniques with digital twinning, further enriches its significance and research potential with new opportunities and unique challenges. To date, a number of scientific models have been designed and implemented related to this evolving topic. However, there is no systematic review of digital twinning, particularly focusing on the role of AI-ML and big data, to guide the academia and industry towards future developments. Therefore, this article emphasizes the role of big data and AI-ML in the creation of digital twins (DTs) or DT-based systems for various industrial applications, by highlighting the current state-of-the-art deployments. We performed a systematic review on top of multidisciplinary electronic bibliographic databases, in addition to existing patents in the field. Also, we identified development-tools that can facilitate various levels of the digital twinning. Further, we designed a big data driven and AI-enriched reference architecture that leads developers to a complete DT-enabled system. Finally, we highlighted the research potential of AI-ML for digital twinning by unveiling challenges and current opportunities.

Smart and Practical Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation for Fog-Based Smart Grids

Abstract: With the increasingly powerful and extensive deployment of edge devices, edge/fog computing enables customers to manage and analyze data locally, and extends computing power and data analysis applications to network edges. Meanwhile, as the next generation of the power grid, the smart grid can achieve the goal of efficiency, economy, security, reliability, use safety and environmental friendliness for the power grid. However, privacy and secure issues in fog-based smart grid communications are challenging. Without proper protection, customers’ privacy will be readily violated. This article presents a smart and practical Privacy-preserving Data Aggregation (PDA) scheme with smart pricing and packing method for fog-based smart grids, which achieves diversified tariffs, multifunctional statistics and efficiency. Especially, we first propose a smart PDA scheme with Smart Pricing (PDA-SP). With PDA-SP, the Control Center (CC) can compute more complex and higher-order aggregation statistics to provide various services, provide diversiform pricing strategies and choose a double-winning strategy. Subsequently, we put forward a practical PDA scheme with Packing Method (PDA-PM), which is able to reduce the size of encrypted data and improve performance in performing various secure computations. Moreover, we extend our original packing method and present a more useful packing method, which can handle general vectors with large entries. The security analysis shows that our proposed scheme is secure against many threats. The performance evaluation reveals that the computation and communication overheads of our proposed scheme are effectively reduced by employing the Somewhat Homomorphic Encryption (SHE), and our packing method can further significantly reduce these overheads.

Importance of Seaweeds and Extractive Species in Global Aquaculture Production

Abstract: The FAO recently published its biennial State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture up to 2018. The FAO continues to treat the seaweed aquaculture sector as a different category, with separate tables ...

The Biological Assessment and Rehabilitation of the World’s Rivers: An Overview

Abstract: The biological assessment of rivers i.e., their assessment through use of aquatic assemblages, integrates the effects of multiple-stressors on these systems over time and is essential to evaluate ecosystem condition and establish recovery measures. It has been undertaken in many countries since the 1990s, but not globally. And where national or multi-national monitoring networks have gathered large amounts of data, the poor water body classifications have not necessarily resulted in the rehabilitation of rivers. Thus, here we aimed to identify major gaps in the biological assessment and rehabilitation of rivers worldwide by focusing on the best examples in Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North, Central, and South America. Our study showed that it is not possible so far to draw a world map of the ecological quality of rivers. Biological assessment of rivers and streams is only implemented officially nation-wide and regularly in the European Union, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the USA. In Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, and Singapore it has been implemented officially at the state/province level (in some cases using common protocols) or in major catchments or even only once at the national level to define reference conditions (Australia). In other cases, biological monitoring is driven by a specific problem, impact assessments, water licenses, or the need to rehabilitate a river or a river section (as in Brazil, South Korea, China, Canada, Japan, Australia). In some countries monitoring programs have only been explored by research teams mostly at the catchment or local level (e.g., Brazil, Mexico, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam) or implemented by citizen science groups (e.g., Southern Africa, Gambia, East Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada). The existing large-extent assessments show a striking loss of biodiversity in the last 2-3 decades in Japanese and New Zealand rivers (e.g., 42% and 70% of fish species threatened or endangered, respectively). A poor condition (below Good condition) exists in 25% of South Korean rivers, half of the European water bodies, and 44% of USA rivers, while in Australia 30% of the reaches sampled were significantly impaired in 2006. Regarding river rehabilitation, the greatest implementation has occurred in North America, Australia, Northern Europe, Japan, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea. Most rehabilitation measures have been related to improving water quality and river connectivity for fish or the improvement of riparian vegetation. The limited extent of most rehabilitation measures (i.e., not considering the entire catchment) often constrains the improvement of biological condition. Yet, many rehabilitation projects also lack pre-and/or post-monitoring of ecological condition, which prevents assessing the success and shortcomings of the recovery measures. Economic constraints are the most cited limitation for implementing monitoring programs and rehabilitation actions, followed by technical limitations, limited knowledge of the fauna and flora and their life-history traits (especially in Africa, South America and Mexico), and poor awareness by decision-makers. On the other hand, citizen involvement is recognized as key to the success and sustainability of rehabilitation projects. Thus, establishing rehabilitation needs, defining clear goals, tracking progress towards achieving them, and involving local populations and stakeholders are key recommendations for rehabilitation projects (Table 1). Large-extent and long-term monitoring programs are also essential to provide a realistic overview of the condition of rivers worldwide. Soon, the use of DNA biological samples and eDNA to investigate aquatic diversity could contribute to reducing costs and thus increase monitoring efforts and a more complete assessment of biodiversity. Finally, we propose developing transcontinental teams to elaborate and improve technical guidelines for implementing biological monitoring programs and river rehabilitation and establishing common financial and technical frameworks for managing international catchments. We also recommend providing such expert teams through the United Nations Environment Program to aid the extension of biomonitoring, bioassessment, and river rehabilitation knowledge globally.

A global agenda for advancing freshwater biodiversity research.

Abstract: Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 in Canada: Effects of social isolation during the initial response

Abstract: Canadian public health officials responded to the unprecedented global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by invoking public health measures ranging from extreme (e g , quarantine) to lighter (e g , social distancing) measures Although necessary to mitigate disease spread, the psychological impact of social distancing and isolation is unknown (Wang et al , 2020) The impetus of this study were calls for research to compare the psychological effects of extreme and lighter measures (see Brooks et al , 2020), and our purpose was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on psychological distress to determine whether negative effects were present during the initial stages of social distancing/isolation measures In this study, questionnaire data measuring satisfaction with life, social cohesion, psychological distress, and perceptions of risk was collected from 1381 Canadians during the early days of intense public health measures (31 March through 15 April 2020) Results suggest that even short-term social distancing practices are associated with increased psychological distress, including elevated levels of overall distress, such as panic, emotional disturbances, and depression These results are noteworthy for several reasons: the timing of the distress, the population under investigation, and the fact that the applied mitigation was "lighter" than full quarantines previously studied These findings suggest that after only a short period of time, less restrictive public health measures can lead to psychological distress These results have major significance for government officials in future public health crisis as they judiciously weigh the costs and benefits of applying such measures with various public health guidelines discussed (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (French) Les responsables de la sante publique du Canada ont repondu a l'eclosion mondiale sans precedent de la maladie du coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) en invoquant des mesures de sante publique allant des mesures extremes (p ex , la quarantaine) aux mesures plus legeres (p ex , la distanciation sociale) Bien qu'il soit necessaire d'attenuer la propagation de la maladie, on ignore les repercussions psychologiques de la distanciation sociale et de l'isolement (Wang et al , 2020) L'idee de la presente etude est nee a la suite de demandes de recherche visant a comparer les effets psychologiques de mesures extremes et de mesures plus legeres (voir Brooks et al , 2020) Notre objectif etait d'examiner l'impact de la COVID-19 sur la detresse psychologique afin de determiner si des effets negatifs etaient presents au cours des premiers stades des mesures de distanciation sociale / d'isolement Dans cette etude, les donnees du questionnaire mesurant la satisfaction a l'egard de la vie, de la cohesion sociale, de la detresse psychologique et de la perception du risque ont ete recueillies aupres de 1 381 Canadiens au cours des premiers jours d'intenses mesures de sante publique (du 31 mars au 15 avril 2020) Les resultats semblent indiquer que meme les pratiques de distanciation sociale a court terme sont associees a une detresse psychologique accrue, y compris des niveaux eleves de detresse globale, comme la panique, les troubles emotionnels et la depression Ces resultats sont dignes de mention pour plusieurs raisons : le moment de la detresse, la population a l'etude et le fait que l'attenuation appliquee etait plus legere que les quarantaines completes deja etudiees Ces resultats semblent indiquer qu'apres une courte periode, des mesures de sante publique moins restrictives peuvent entrainer une detresse psychologique Ces resultats ont une importance majeure pour les responsables gouvernementaux sur les futures crises de sante publique, alors qu'ils evaluent judicieusement les couts et les avantages de l'application de telles mesures avec les diverses lignes directrices de la sante publique discutees (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Public Significance Statement-During a global infectious disease pandemic, public health measures are often required to slow the spread of the disease Although these measures are necessary, they can have negative effects on mental health Even during the first few weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, we found that there was a psychological impact on Canadian residents People who perceived that COVID-19 presented a large risk were more likely to feel panic, depression, and emotional disturbances We also found that females and people who were younger were likely to experience more psychological distress Public health officials should keep this in mind when implementing public health measures during potential subsequent waves of the pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Functionalized Masks: Powerful Materials against COVID-19 and Future Pandemics.

Abstract: The outbreak of COVID-19 revealed the vulnerability of commercially available face masks. Without having antibacterial/antiviral activities, the current masks act only as filtering materials of the aerosols containing microorganisms. Meanwhile, in surgical masks, the viral and bacterial filtration highly depends on the electrostatic charges of masks. These electrostatic charges disappear after 8 h, which leads to a significant decline in filtration efficiency. Therefore, to enhance the masks' protection performance, fabrication of innovative masks with more advanced functions is in urgent demand. This review summarizes the various functionalizing agents which can endow four important functions in the masks including i) boosting the antimicrobial and self-disinfectant characteristics via incorporating metal nanoparticles or photosensitizers, ii) increasing the self-cleaning by inserting superhydrophobic materials such as graphenes and alkyl silanes, iii) creating photo/electrothermal properties by forming graphene and metal thin films within the masks, and iv) incorporating triboelectric nanogenerators among the friction layers of masks to stabilize the electrostatic charges and facilitating the recharging of masks. The strategies for creating these properties toward the functionalized masks are discussed in detail. The effectiveness and limitation of each method in generating the desired properties are well-explained along with addressing the prospects for the future development of masks.

Hyperspectral remote sensing in lithological mapping, mineral exploration, and environmental geology: an updated review

Abstract: Hyperspectral imaging has been used in a variety of geological applications since its advent in the 1970s. In the last few decades, different techniques have been developed by geologists to analyze hyperspectral data in order to quantitatively extract geological information from the high-spectral-resolution remote sensing images. We attempt to review and update various steps of the techniques used in geological information extraction, such as lithological and mineralogical mapping, ore exploration, and environmental geology. The steps include atmospheric correction, dimensionality processing, endmember extraction, and image classification. It is identified that per-pixel and subpixel image classifiers can generate accurate alteration mineral maps. Producing geological maps of different surface materials including minerals and rocks is one of the most important geological applications. The hyperspectral images classification methods demonstrate the potential for being used as a main tool in the mining industry and environmental geology. To exemplify the potential, we also include a few case studies of different geological applications.

What is sexual wellbeing and why does it matter for public health

Abstract: Sexual health has provided a guiding framework for addressing sexuality in public health for several decades. Although the WHO definition of sexual health is revolutionary in acknowledging positive sexuality, public health approaches remain focused on risk and adverse outcomes. The long-standing conflation of sexual health and sexual wellbeing has affected our ability to address everyday sexual issues. This Viewpoint provides a way forward to resolve this impasse. We propose sexual wellbeing as a distinct and revolutionary concept that can be operationalised as a seven-domain model. We situate sexual wellbeing alongside sexual health, sexual justice, and sexual pleasure as one of four pillars of public health enquiry. We argue that sexual wellbeing is imperative to public health as a marker of health equity, a meaningful population indicator of wellbeing, a means to capture population trends distinct from sexual health, and an opportunity to refocus the ethics, form, and practices of public health.

Nanoparticles: A New Approach to Upgrade Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract: Traditional cancer therapeutics have been criticized due to various adverse effects and insufficient damage to targeted tumors. The breakthrough of nanoparticles provides a novel approach for upgrading traditional treatments and diagnosis. Actually, nanoparticles can not only solve the shortcomings of traditional cancer diagnosis and treatment, but also create brand-new perspectives and cutting-edge devices for tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, most of the research about nanoparticles stays in vivo and in vitro stage, and only few clinical researches about nanoparticles have been reported. In this review, we first summarize the current applications of nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis and treatment. After that, we propose the challenges that hinder the clinical applications of NPs and provide feasible solutions in combination with the updated literature in the last two years. At the end, we will provide our opinions on the future developments of NPs in tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Recent advances in understanding the effects of lignin structural characteristics on enzymatic hydrolysis.

Abstract: Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose for bioethanol production shows a great potential to remit the rapid consumption of fossil fuels, given the fact that lignocellulose feedstocks are abundant, cost-efficient, and renewable. Lignin results in low enzymatic saccharification by forming the steric hindrance, non-productive adsorption of cellulase onto lignin, and deactivating the cellulase. In general, the non-productive binding of cellulase on lignin is widely known as the major cause for inhibiting the enzymatic hydrolysis. Pretreatment is an effective way to remove lignin and improve the enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulose. Along with removing lignin, the pretreatment can modify the lignin structure, which significantly affects the non-productive adsorption of cellulase onto lignin. To relieve the inhibitory effect of lignin on enzymatic hydrolysis, enormous efforts have been made to elucidate the correlation of lignin structure with lignin-enzyme interactions but with different views. In addition, contrary to the traditional belief that lignin inhibits enzymatic hydrolysis, in recent years, the addition of water-soluble lignin such as lignosulfonate or low molecular-weight lignin exerts a positive effect on enzymatic hydrolysis, which gives a new insight into the lignin-enzyme interactions. For throwing light on their structure-interaction relationship during enzymatic hydrolysis, the effect of residual lignin in substrate and introduced lignin in hydrolysate on enzymatic hydrolysis are critically reviewed, aiming at realizing the targeted regulation of lignin structure for improving the saccharification of lignocellulose. The review is also focused on exploring the lignin-enzyme interactions to mitigate the negative impact of lignin and reducing the cost of enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose.

Potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook

Abstract: Climate change from carbon emissions and rising energy demands poses a serious threat to global sustainability This issue is particularly noticeable in Canada where per capita energy demands are high and fossil fuels are used Industrial hemp can be used for bioenergy production as an alternative to fossil fuels to capture and utilize carbon, with applications in various markets at high values Despite this, industrial hemp has faced legal barriers that have hampered its viability This review describes industrial hemp, its status in global markets, its performance as bioenergy feedstock, and potential in Canada, so research can target gaps in available knowledge Numerous bioenergy applications for industrial hemp exist; the production of bioethanol and biodiesel from industrial hemp has strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the Canadian economy The current study found that industrial hemp can compete with many energy crops in global markets as a feedstock for many bioenergy products with solid hemp yielding 100 GJ/ha/y, allowing for economical emissions reductions for example in coal/biochar blends that can reduce emissions by 10%, and in co-production of bioethanol and grain, generating $2632/ha/y This work also suggests industrial hemp has unique potential for growth in Canada, though processing facilities are severely lacking, and hemp growing has some negative environmental impacts related to fertilizer use Responsible growth could be realized through incentivizing or subsidizing processing facility investment, implementing co-production where possible, and funding research to improve conversion, harvesting and polygeneration processes